Elephant Queens & Tiger Kings - 11: Leaving the City of the Longheads

Recap: I've uncovered a plot to implicate our trading expedition in a theft. There seems to be a struggle between factions within the Longhead city, and we are caught in the middle. Myself and our companions are currently held captive in a room with a secret passage, an idol, a knife and a dead Longhead.

Note: I'm going to incorporate some of the new rules from Ironsworn: Starforged into my game. There isn't an official complete upgrade but I will use Lodestar 2e (the official reference guide, which has some updated moves) as well as the fan made Ironsworn 1.5-ish and Ironforged V1 which I found on the Ironsworn Discord. I will try to show where I deviate from the standard Ironsworn rules but I will be making things up as I go and can't promise consistency in my application of the different rules. I'm also using the Pocketforge web app to play since it includes the moves from all the official games. 

                                                    Ambient music for this episode

I decide that it's best to inform the guards of what has happened and not wait until morning. I start banging on the wooden door of the room and yell to the guards. They start shouting to us in their language, probably telling me to be quiet but I keep making noise until the door bolt is removed. I stand back as several guards storm into the room ready to give us a beating.

Some of the guards are holding up torches and they spot the dead body, the golden idol, about the size of a man's fist and a bloody knife on the floor. I point to the back of the room towards the secret passage and they understand that was how the intruder entered the room. One of the guards rushes over to the body to inspect it. Then he shouts to the others, points to the passage in the back of the room and several of the guards storm through the opening. 

We are unsure of what to do but any decisions are taken out of our hands, more guards come the room and we are marched back to the harbour and our boats in the early dawn light. Our interpreters are informed that we are to leave as soon as our cargo has been loaded. It seems the Longheads are embarrassed that we've been exposed to their internal political struggles and since the idol has been found are happy to send us on our way. As soon as all the goods have been loaded on to the boats we cast off and row down the river back to the City of Pearls.

Since this a return journey along a known route so I will use the move: Follow a Path from Ironsworn Lodestar 2e.

Action Die: 1d6 + Supply: 5+5 = 10

Challenge Dice: 2d10 = 3 and 2 = Strong Hit = Reach Destination and +1 Momentum (6)

The journey back is uneventful and due to rowing downstream we arrive back in our city after 8 days, about half the time it took to travel upstream to the city of the Longheads. When we pull up along the quay we are greeted by a throng of people including workers ready to unload our cargo and priests chanting, banging drums and blowing on pan-pipes as part of welcome ceremony to thank the gods for our safe return. Myself and the other rowers are led away to a holding room where we find tables laden with foods including fresh fruit, nuts, cooked vegetables, fish and meats. There is also a small bath recessed within the floor where we can wash ourselves. It seems that these are our rewards for a successful trading mission.

Once we are clean and well fed, guards come to take us to sleeping quarters, however I am led away separately to another room and find myself once again in the presence of Balzar seated on stone bench on a low platform. Balzar's shoulders are draped in the customary Leopard skin indicating his status. He addresses me: 

"Welcome back... Kiakro is it? I've been informed of your actions during the trade mission to the Longheads. It seems you were crucial to the mission's success and were singled out by the several of the traders and mariners for your contributions. It seems you possess some skills that I have a special use for".

I mark a tick on the progress track for my vow (Extreme) to become a free citizen of the City of Pearls. I will also give myself 3 experience points from which I will spend 2 to upgrade my Waterborn asset. I paid close attention to the workings of larger boats over the past couple of weeks.

Now I will use my Sundaland Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator to create the next adventure.

Location: 1d12

1. Island Archipelago. Bays, lagoons, coral reefs, sand bars, cliffs, limestone karsts, pirates serpents, leviathans (Initially I rolled Savanna but decided that sea adventure would fit better with all the following results).

Setup1, 2, and 3: 3d20

8. Sea-gypsies

5. Bribe

9. Maps

Hook: 1d6

6. Circumstances force the characters to get involved

Patron, ally, client, help-seeker: 1d6

3. Superiors from your culture (I did not roll for this result since Balzar is giving me the mission)

Tasks: 1d6

3. Find or explore

Reward: 1d6

5. Elephants, water-buffalo, boat or ship with a crew.

Antagonist or adversary: 1d6

5. A sworn enemy

Obstacle: 1d12

6. Strange local customs

Complication 1d6

6 The clock starts ticking because...

Twist: 1d12

9. It's a trap or trick

These results have given me the idea that Balzar wants to find a new source of Areca Nuts to import. The addictive nut is officially banned from the city (Read how we were captured during a failed smuggling operation: Elephant Queens & Tiger Kings - 6: Breaking into the City of Pearls), but Balzar is placing personal profit above that of the health of his fellow citizens.

The results Sea Gypsies, Bribe and Map give me the idea that perhaps Sea Gypsies know where Areca Nuts can be found. According to this map Spice Trade in Sundaland there is a source of Areca Nuts far to the East (not known to my character or anyone else in the City of Pearls). So perhaps Balzar wants me to pay the Sea Gypsies for the location of the Areca Nuts?

I'm not quite sure how or if the other results will come into play but the Antagonist (A sworn enemy), Complication (The clock starts ticking because...) and the Twist (It's a trap or trick) seem to indicate a race against time before a rival faction or culture discovers what I'm doing with the intention of either stopping the import happening or securing the nuts for themselves. I will play to find out.

Balzar dismisses the guards that brought me here and tells them to wait outside. Once they are gone he stands up from the bench, and walks over to within a whispering distance. "I remember you... you were helping Calpo smuggle Areca nuts into the city. Those nuts are banned from the city... but who am I to deny the desires of the people. Many have been thrown to crocodiles for less and you are lucky we are always in need of good rowers. I'm sending out another expedition, something a little more discreet, that you are perfectly suited for. You will be told more soon enough but for now you are to rest in the assigned quarters. Do not speak of this to anyone, however keep in mind anyone who could be a good volunteer for another expedition.

Balzar calls out to the guards and I am led back to the communal hall with the others. I wonder if my quest to become a free citizen of this city will be helped or hindered by working for the corrupt Balzar. In any case, right now I don't have a choice in the matter.

I will rank this expedition as Formidable.

Real History: Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations

An interesting interview with Assyriologist Irving Finkel which gives some insight into life in the Bronze and Iron Age.

Sundaland 24 Mile Hex Map

A map of Sundaland at the height of the last Ice Age overlaid with a 24 mile hex-grid. The image is 5260 by 4754 pixels and was created with Wonderdraft. Left click to load the full map then right click to download it.

For a while I considered creating a hex map with Worldographer but I wouldn't be able to depict all the small islands, which is half the fun of this map!

The good thing is that Wonderdraft allows you to import this map, match the hex size and then add a second hex overlay at a smaller resolution, for example 6 or 3 mile hexes. So you could use this map for the big picture overview and then create hex maps for smaller areas if you want to have an old-school hex experience.

Since this part of the world is close to the equator the size of the landmass is frequently underestimated. You can use TheTrueSize.com to see how large this sub-continent is by comparing it to a country or state that you are familiar with. Just enter and select a country on the left and then drag it over South-East Asia

This example section of the map is 28 x 12 hexes (504 hexes total) which makes it roughly the size of countries like Afghanistan or South Sudan according to How big is your hex map? 

This is how far you can zoom in before the hexes become pixelated.

For more maps depicting biomes, locations of precious metals and spices as well as tools for creating your own Sword & Sorcery Sundaland setting visit the Sundaland Content Overview

If you use any of this please tell me about it in the comments. I always love to hear about how people use this material.

Real History: Nan Madol

 A mysterious structure deep in the Pacific Ocean. Wikipedia: Nan Madol

Real History: Science Daily: Who are the Papua New Guineans? New DNA study reveals stunning origins

 
On remote islands of Papua New Guinea, people carry a story that ties us all back to our deepest roots. Although their striking appearance once puzzled scientists, new genetic evidence shows they share a common ancestry with other Asians, shaped by isolation, adaptation, and even interbreeding with mysterious Denisovans. Yet, their unique history — marked by survival bottlenecks and separation from farming-driven booms — leaves open questions about the earliest migrations out of Africa and whether their lineage holds traces of a forgotten branch of humanity.

Read the full article here: Who are the Papua New Guineans? New DNA study reveals stunning origins 

Real History: The Nuragic Civilisation

A look at a Bronze Age civilisation that many people might not know about. The Nuragic civilisation of the island of Sardinia.

Real History: Lost cities of the Amazon: how science is revealing ancient garden towns hidden in the rainforest

Two great articles about the the remains of cultures that existed in South America. I find this type of culture fascinating and imagine many of the cultures in my Sundaland setting exist.

The first article includes some artist impressions of what the area could have looked like. 

Archaeologists using 3D mapping are uncovering the remains of thousands of green metropolises with composted gardens, fisheries, and forests groomed into orchards

Lost cities of the Amazon: how science is revealing ancient garden towns hidden in the rainforest 

This article prioritized studying the roads and paths that are interconnected to geoglyph-type sites in the Western Brazilian Amazon, not only because of their originality, but also to understand some issues that permeate the universe of geoglyphs, such as how was gave the spatial distribution of these roads in the region, what meaning they had within the sociocultural context of that society.

The pre-Colombian roads of geoglyphs sites in the state of acre: the tequinho site road complex